"To be able to go [through] what I've gone through and still be fortunate before the age of 40 to be here and be an offensive coordinator with Coach Saban at Alabama, you take some time to reflect on that."

Saban tried wooing Kiffin to Alabama seven years ago, when Kiffin was offensive coordinator at USC under Pete Carroll, but he opted for the NFL. Now he's back as an offensive coordinator, but he still desires to be a head coach.

"As far as being a head coach, that's always in your blood and you're competitive," Kiffin said. "But this isn't about Lane Kiffin or anything before or where he's going, this is about Alabama and getting started.

"Having a little time off there after getting fired at USC re-excites you to get back. Obviously I loved being a head coach. There were a lot of great things about that. But when you step back into a role of being an assistant coach, your focus is so much back on football, on player development ... where as a head coach you're pulled in so many other directions."

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